Emily's secret
by Ikweetnietgoedwaarom
Summary: The Legacy Bella has a secret which causes her to quit the Bellas. Will she make it on her own?
1. Chapter 1

This would be her last night in the Bellas house. She knew she had to say it now before it was to late. She sighed and looked around the table at the Bellas she loved so much. She had been been stupid and now she had to suffer the consequences of her actions.

"I have to quit the Bellas."

Nine pair of eyes looked at her after the unexpected announcement.

"Acascuse me?!" Chloe was the first one to react.

"I have to quit the Bellas" I repeated my previous sentence.

"Yeah, we heard you, dude. But a explanation would be nice" Beca said.

"I have my reasons" I said.

"Are we going to hear them?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"No. I just have to quit and that's all I have to say" I said.

Before someone could ask anymore questions I stood up. Taking my plate with the half eaten food still on it. I walked over to the trashcan and emptied my plate in it before putting it in the dishwasher.

I hurried upstairs and locked the door of my room before anyone else could follow me.

The tears rolled down my cheeks as I grabbed my suitcase and start packing. Looking around the room that had been my home for the past year, I took the photographs from the wall and shoved them in my suitcase on top of my clothes. I only had to pack my songbook and then I was ready to go.

A soft knock on my door made me stop for a moment.

" Legacy, open the goddamn door" I heard Beca say.

"Leave me alone. I made my decision and you're not my mother" I answered bitterly.

"I know I'm not your mother, but I have your moms number. You know I can call her right now" Beca said.

"Do what you have to do" I said.

I could hear a noice from the other side before my door opened, revealing Beca and Lilly in the hallway. Before I could say something Beca entered my room.

"What's going on? You just can't say you quit the Bellas and run of" the tiny DJ said.

"I screwed up okay and I have to leave, that's all" I said.

"So you're not going to talk about this?" the tiny brunette asked.

"No. And would you please leave now? I'd like to get some sleep" I said.

"Em, you know we all here for you. Whatever it is you can talk to us. We will help you solve this, whatever this is. Would you like me to get Chloe? Or someone else you can talk to?" the shorter brunette asked me.

"No. I don't want to talk to Chloe or to you or someone else. I have to go. Please don't ask me why" I said.

Defeated the tiny brunette left my room. I closed the door but left it unlocked, knowing Lilly would open it again if I did lock it again.

Tired I lay on my bed, not bothering to change my clothes. The rest of the Bellas had come by trying to get some answers from me. I dismissed every single one of them without saying anything.

That night I couldn't sleep even if though I was tired. I only could think of the problems I was in. I still couldn't believe that I had been so stupid. I always had been so careful.

I must have fallen asleep because the next moment I opened my eyes it was early in the morning. I got up and took my suitcase with me.

Quietly I walked to the kitchen to not disturb the sleeping Bellas.

"Going anywhere?" a voice spoke softly.

"I thought I made myself clear last night Stacie" I said after recognising the voice.

"Yeah you did. I'm not going to force you to stay if you don't want to. But at least tell Beca and Chloe the truth. They deserve to know why you're leaving" Stacie said while sipping her coffee.

"I just can't. I'm afraid to disappoint them further" I said.

"So leaving is the best option?" she said as she gave me a cup of tea.

"Yes. And how did you know I wanted tea instead of coffee?" I asked her confused.

"For the same reason that I know why you're leaving" she said while looking me in the eye.

"I'm not as stupid as I look. If you want to keep things secret, you should do a better job in hiding the evidence" she said.

"Are you going to tell them?" I asked suddenly scared.

"No, it's not my place to tell them" she said.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked her.

"Personally I think you should stay. Tell them. They understand more than you think. And we're all here to help you. Bellas for life you know" she said simply.

"I'm just scared they will judge me for my bad decision making" I said.

"They won't. But running away only make things more difficult. You're not going to make it on your own Legacy" she said.

I chose not to answer her as I finished my tea. Thinking about Stacie's words I made my decision. I had to go. I couldn't be a burden to them. I stood up and put my cup in the dishwasher for the last time.

"I made my decision. I have to go" I said to Stacie.

"Good luck kiddo. Call me when you change your mind or if you need help" she said as she hugged me.

"Thanks Stacie" I said with tears in my eyes.

"Legacy wait!" she said as I was about to leave.

"Here" she said as she gave me three hundred dollars.

"You need it more than I do" she said simply.

"Thanks Stacie" I said again as I left the Bellas house.

And now I thought by myself as I walked around campus with my suitcase. Stacie was right. I would never make it on my own. But I had to. I couldn't confide in someone else. I had caused this and I had to clean up this mess myself.

 _ **A few months later**_

"This is not going well" I could hear the nurse say.

"Miss, is there someone we can call to tell them you're here?" I could hear someone ask me.

"Call Stacie. Stacie Conrad" I managed to get out.

Then everything went black…..


	2. Chapter 2

We had just started our Wednesday family dinner, when my phone rang. When I recognised the number from the hospital I immediately knew it had something to do with Legacy.

She hadn't contact me since she left even though she had promised me. But I honestly had expected this call earlier.

My heart almost stopped when the nurse on the other side of the line informed me that Legacy was submitted to the hospital. She didn't want to tell me what was wrong but urged me to come to the hospital soon.

The girls could tell by the way I looked thar something was wrong. I didn't have time to get into it and I quickly excused myself.

I made the twenty minute drive to the hospital in a record time. I parked my car and immediately went over to the desk. I told the nurse that I had received a phone call regarding Emily Junk.

The nurse called someone and told me to wait until a doctor would coming to get me.

I sat and waited, praying that Legacy was alright. I wasn't religious but at that moment I promised every God I knew that I would be a better person I'd everything would be okay with Legacy.

After what felt an eternity but what was most likely ten minutes a doctor walked up to me.

"Miss Conrad?" he asked me.

"Yeah, that's me" I said.

"I'm Dr. Fields, I understand you're here for miss Junk" she said.

"Yes, is everything alright with Legacy? She's going to make it right?" I asked worried.

The doctor looked at me with raised brows.

"Legacy?" she asked amused.

"Sorry that's a nickname we have for her" I said quickly.

"You're aware of miss Junks condition I presume" the doctor asked me.

"Yes, I am. Is she alright?" I asked again.

"I mean I know she isn't otherwise she wouldn't be in the hospital. But she is still alive right?" I corrected myself hastily.

"Your friend is alive but she isn't in the best condition. Her illness progressed faster than we thought. She is in surgery right now. We will do our best to save miss Junk, but I have to tell you that there is a chance she won't survive the surgery" the doctor said seriously.

"How bad is it" I asked.

"I thought you were aware of her condition?" the doctor asked me now confused.

"I am. But she never mentioned how far her illness had progressed" I said.

To be honest she hadn't told me anything. I happened to find it out accidentally when I found an empty medicine bottle in the trashcan but I wasn't planning to tell the doctor that.

"Miss Junks condition had affected her balance and internal organs. We were told that she had fallen when she was brought in. The fall had caused multiple internal bleedings that we are now trying to stop" the doctor explained.

"What should I do now?" I asked the doctor.

"If you would follow me, I will bring you to the waiting room near the OR. When we have news we will inform you. The only thing you can do now is wait" the doctor said as she started to walk.

Nervously I sat there waiting for any news. I knew I promised Legacy to keep her secret, but I called Chloe and asked her if she and the Bellas would come. If things were about to go wrong I didn't want so sit here alone. Besides she could use the support of all of us.

Half an hour later the Bellas had found me.

"What's going on Stacie?" they asked me.

"Why are we here?" Chloe wanted to know.

"It's Legacy. She's really sick and things don't look very good. At this moment she is in surgery but she might not make it" I said while avoiding any eye contact.

"Legacy is sick? What does she have? Did you knew this all the time?"

"I'm sorry guys for not telling. I accidentally found out. I tried to stop her from leaving but she was scared of what you would think of her" I said.

"Poor Legacy. Nobody should go through something like this alone" Ashley said.

Finally the doctor came out of the operation room. She looked at all the girls with a serious expression on her face.

"I presume you are the rest of Legacy's friends" she stated before walking over to Stacie.

"Miss Conrad, the surgery went well. But miss Junk lost a lot of blood. They're giving her extra blood right now and all we can do now is hope she will make it" the doctor said.

"Can we see her?" I asked her.

"You can but only when she leaves the recovery room and only two people at the time and no longer than an hour" she said before going back into the OR.

I had never been more relieved in my life when a nurse came later to tell us that Legacy was going to make it and was brought to a room.

Chloe and I were the first one's to see her. My heart broke when I saw her lying in that hospital bed. The once so lively Legacy was white as sheets and asleep.

Not knowing what to say or do, Chloe and I just sat next to her bed. Each of us holding her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as I opened my eyes I knew I was in trouble. I remembered a nurse asking me who to call. And I remembered that I had answered Stacie Conrad. What happened after that I couldn't remember.

I tried to sit up but a sharp pain in my abdomen prevent me doing so. I laid back and closed my eyes. All I wanted was that this pain would go away.

"Legacy, how are you feeling?" I heard a unfamiliar voice asking me.

Hearing somebody who wasn't a Bella calling me Legacy was weird. I tried to focus on the voice and open my eyes but I was so tired.

"Legacy, try and stay awake for a moment" the voice said.

When two cold hands touched my face I opened my eyes.

"Who are you?"I asked the woman who was hovering above me.

"My name is Dr. Fields, your surgeon" she answered.

"How are you feeling?" she asked again.

"Like a train wreck" I answered.

"I can imagine. You just had a major surgery" she said dryly.

"What exactly had happened?" I asked her.

"You fell. The fall had caused numerous internal bleeding. In combination with your illness it was almost fatal. We had to stop the bleedings and gave you extra blood" she explained.

"I see. And my illness?" I wanted to know.

"Since your been here we gave you your medication. But I'm afraid we can't cure it. Your illness is progressing pretty fast. In a few months you won't be able to walk I'm afraid" the doctor said in a serious tone.

Upon hearing that my world collapsed. What was I supposed to do when I couldn't walk anymore? I had noticed that my symptoms had gotten worse the past few months. My balance was getting worse.

The symptoms were one of the reasons I had quit the Bellas. How could I dance a routine when I couldn't walk properly?

Luckily I always had been clumsy so the girls hadn't noticed it. They just had thought every time I fell or bumped into something that it had been my clumsiness.

"Are you alright?"

The doctors voice brought me back to reality.

"As alright I can be after hearing this" I said dryly.

The doctor didn't respond to that. She just looked at me with sympathy.

"Are you feeling well enough for company? Because there are nine girls in the waiting room who ate dying to see you" she said.

The Bellas were here? All of them? I wasn't ready to face them. Facing them meant explaining things. Chloe and Beca would be so disappointed in me because I hadn't trust them.

"If you're not ready yet, I will tell them to come back another time" the doctor said.

Apparently she had seen the look of fear in my eyes when she had mentioned the Bellas being here.

"Thank you. I'm really not ready to face them. But can you ask Stacie to come in? She's the only one I'm ready to talk to" I asked.

She nodded before she walked away and left my room.

Moments later Stacie came in. She didn't say anything, she just looked at me. I couldn't define her look. It was a mix of pity, concern and anger.

"Hey" I said softly when she sat in the chair next to my bed.

"Don't hey me. You really scared the shit out of me. I specifically told you to keep in touch" she said.

I didn't know what to say. She was right. She was the only one who had known. I never thought how it must've been for her.

"I'm sorry. I never thought you would really care. I thought you would forget about me after I left" I said quietly.

"Are you crazy? I start to think that Fat Amy is right about you being dumb. I could never forget you. None of the Bellas could. You're our Legacy. Our little sister. The little sister I never had" she said holding back her tears.

I felt ashamed after her words. I never knew she thought about me that way. In hindsight I could've known. She had always protected me as is she was my big sister.

"I'm so sorry Stacie. I should've kept in touch. But I'm really glad you're here. When the nurse asked me who to call I immediately said your name even though I wasn't sure you would come" I said.

"Of course, I would come. I'm glad you let them call me. But you have some explaining to do towards the rest of the Bellas" she said.

"You didn't tell them about my illness?" I asked her confused.

"No, I didn't. It's not my story to tell" she said simply.

I didn't know how to respond to that. We both didn't say anything and I felt myself getting sleepy again. Stacie must've noticed it because she stood up and hugged me.

"Take care of yourself Legacy. I will be back tomorrow. And you can bet I take the rest of the girls with me, so you better think of a good explanation" she said with a wink.

After she left I was alone with my thoughts. She was right. I needed to think of that but first I needed to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**I dedicate this chapter to Lady Neelahn. My twin sister and my biggest inspiration. Thank you for encouraging me and always be there for me. You were an amazing sister and I will miss you so much. I love you sis.**

"Miss Junk, how are you feeling today?" my doctor asked.

"A lot better than yesterday" I answered.

"I'm so pleased to heat that" my doctor said.

She looked at me like she wanted to say something but didn't dare. Suddenly I got scared. Had it something to do with my illness?

"What's wrong doc?" I asked her softly.

"Well there are at least six concerned girls in the waiting room that want to talk to you" my doctor said.

I instantly felt a knot forming in my stomach. I knew the Bellas were concerned and wanted answers but somehow I couldn't tell them the truth. I didn't want pity. I didn't want them to worry about me. If this illness was causing my life I wanted to die in dignity. Not as some little kid that needed to be looked after.

"If you're not ready to see them I can sent them away."

My doctors voice brought me back to reality.

"No. It's just I don't want to tell them how bad it is. They're so worried and they need to concentrate on other things than me" I confessed.

"They are your friends. I've seen them when you were in surgery yesterday. And they really care about you. Don't you think they deserve the truth?" my doctor asked me.

"You're probably right. I guess I can't hide it much longer. Hoe long do you think it's going to take before I can't dance and sing anymore?" I asked although I was afraid of the answer.

"Your illness is progressing much faster than we originally thought. But it's not only that miss Junk. I hate to say it but your vision is deteriorating quickly" my doctor said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"It means that in about two months you will be completely blind. So you're really going to need the help of your friends" my doctor said.

"Okay, let them in. I guess I don't really have another choice" I sighed defeated.

Shortly after my doctor left, my room was filled with Bellas. To my surprise my aca moms and Stacie weren't here.

"Legacy, how are you?" Cynthia Rose asked me.

"I could be better but I'm glad I'm alive" I said honestly.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on Flatbutt?" Fat Amy asked me.

"Leave her alone Amy. She will tell us when she's ready" Jessica said.

"Jessica is right. I will tell you what's wrong but I really want to say it when we're all together" I said.

Secretly I was glad that they weren't all here. It gave me some extra time to accept the terrible news I just heard.

"Where are Beca, Chloe and Stacie anyway?" I asked.

Suddenly the girls avoided eye contact. I didn't like that at all.

"Guys, where are they?" I asked again.

"There on their way. They had to pick something up" Flo mumbled.

No I started to get worried. This was bad. I could feel it. The way the rest were suddenly quiet and avoiding eye contact. And not to mention the way they acted. I was sick not crazy.

I wanted to say something when the door of my room opened. There were the three missing Bellas. And my mom.

For a minute I was glad that I was already lying on a bed because the moment I saw my mom I felt I could faint.

The moment my mom saw me she rushed over to me and hugged me tight.

"Mom, I can't breathe" I said.

"Emily Junk what the fuck were you thinking? First you left out off the blue. And now I get a call that you're in the hospital. Are you crazy?" my mom yelled at me.

"I'm sorry mom. I don't want you to worry about me. And the same goes for the rest of you" I finally said.

"Getting a call you almost died didn't exactly help" my mom replied dryly.

"Why don't you start telling the truth?" Stacie encouraged me softly.

I knew she was right. It wasn't fair that she had to lie to them. She studied medicine and she probably knew how bad my condition was.

I nodded at her. Suddenly my mouth felt dry and I grabbed my glass of water. I took a big sip and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I left and didn't keep in touch. And I'm more sorry that I scare you" I said.

I didn't know how to continue and Stacie gave me an reassuring squeeze in my hand.

"At the beginning of this semester I didn't feel well. So I went to the doctor. He didn't trusted it and sent me to the hospital for a series of tests. A few weeks later I got the results."

I needed to take another sip of water before I could continue.

"They found out I've got an autoimmune disease. It affects my balance and and other organs. So they prescribed me medication to slow down the process. It didn't help at all. In a few weeks I can't dance or sing anymore. My doctor just told my that my vision is deteriorating quickly. In other words I'm going blind. That's why I left. I don't want pity. And I don't want to be a burden to you" I ended my story.

I felt like there was a huge weight lifted from my shoulders after finally telling the truth. But I wasn't prepared to see the devastated expression on their faces.

With a sigh I closed my eyes. Waiting until one of them gave an reaction.


	5. Chapter 5

Apparently none of them knew what to say. The only things I could hear were the beeping of the monitors I was hooked up to and my mom who was softly crying. Somehow I could understand it. No one, well except Stacie had expected to hear this.

I knew that this illness wasn't my fault but I couldn't help myself to feel guilty. This is what I had wanted to avoid. Exactly because of this I had gone away without saying why.

I knew that they were my friends and that they cared about me and seeing them so devastated killed me.

I didn't want them to feel sad. All I wanted was that they would see and remember me as the person who auditioned for them. Not like I was someone who they pitied.

Suddenly I felt tired. Hearing that awful news from my doctor was bad. But seeing my friends and mom so sad and helpless about the situation was million times worse.

"Would you all please leave? I'm tired" I asked them softly.

My words brought them back to reality. One by one they said their goodbyes and promised to come back tomorrow.

"Stacie, can you stay?" I asked.

She nodded and stayed behind when everyone else left my room. Without saying anything I reached over to my bedside table and opened the top drawer. I grabbed a sealed envelope and gave it to her.

"In this letter I wrote something that you need to read. But not today. You will know when to open it" I said.

She took the envelope from me and left. When I was finally alone I let my tears run freely. I was relieved that I told them everything but at the same time I was heartbroken because my friends were so sad.

 _Three days later_

"How are you feeling Legacy?" my doctor asked.

"I feel much better" I answered with a smile.

"I've got good news for you. Today I will do some final tests and if the result are good, you can go home tomorrow" my doctor said.

"Thank you so much. I can't wait to get out of here" I said excitedly.

When my doctor left I started to think. What did I want of I could go home? I didn't want to go back to the Bellas house. And I certainly didn't want to go home with my mom.

I still had my apartment. With some minor improvements I could live there. Even when I was going blind. But I also knew that my friends and my mom wouldn't agree with me.

Knowing them them the way I did, I suspected they already had made a schedule of who was going to take care of me. I didn't want that. I wanted to be independent for as long as I could.

My thoughts were disturbed when my doctor came in.

"Are you ready for your last tests?" she asked me.

I nodded and waited patiently until she was done.

"Is there someone I should call to pick you up if you can go home tomorrow?" she asked me.

"No. If the results are good and I'm released, I'm going home alone" I said softly but determined.

"Emily, I know you want to do this alone. But you have to realise that this is a serious illness. It progresses faster than we had predicted. Sooner or later your going to need help" my doctor said.

"I know. But it's not so far yet. And until that times come I want to have my independence" I said.

"I understand but I still don't think it's a good idea" my doctor said with a sigh.

I knew I was being stubborn but this is what I wanted. It's my life and I had made up my mind about what I wanted. My doctor must've noticed that she couldn't change my mind.

"Good night Legacy" she said before leaving me alone with my thoughts.

That night I didn't sleep. I only prayed that my results were good and that I could leave.

God must have heard my prayers because the next morning my doctor came with good news. I was healthy enough to go home.

After she left I got dressed and packed my things. After I signed my release papers I went to find my doctor.

"Thank you for everything Doc" I said as I shook her hand with a smile.

"Take care of yourself Legacy. And if you notice things get worse make an appointment" she said.

"I wil Doc" I said.

With my bag in my hand I walked to the busstop. Enjoying everything I saw. Because I realised that it was one of the last days that I could see everything perfectly and I wanted to remember it.


	6. Chapter 6

Since Stacie had to be in the hospital for one of her school assignments, she figured she might as well could pay Legacy a visit.

She wasn't prepared to see an empty room

with a neatly made bed. All kind of thoughts went through her mind. Did something happened to Legacy that she had to be transported to another room? Or was it much worse.

She didn't want to think about either scenarios so she went looking for Dr. Fields instead. Hopefully the doctor would tell her more.

The doctor explained to her that Emily was released the day before. Relieved that Legacy was all right, she asked the doctor if she knew where the younger girl had gone to.

"All I know is that she went home by herself. I asked her if there was someone I had to call but she insisted on going home alone" the doctor said.

Since Stacie wasn't actual family, the doctor couldn't give her Emily's address information. With a sigh Stacie thanked the doctor before leaving the hospital.

Instinctively, Stacie knew she wouldn't see or hear the younger Bella in a while. As far Stacie knew, Legacy never told any of them where she lived after she left the Bellas house.

She had tried to call the young Bella but she never picked up her phone. With a heavy feeling in her heart Stacie went back home. Knowing she had to tell the others what she just found out.

"Bellas meeting now!" she yelled as soon as she entered the house.

Within seconds they were all gathered in the living room, curious about what the tall Bella had to say to them.

"I just got home from the hospital. Apparently Legacy was released yesterday. I spoke with her doctor and she went home by herself" she said.

Shocked they hadn't a response to what they just heared. They could only hope that Legacy would contact of them soon.

Emily had the time of her life now that she was safe in her own home. She enjoyed everything she knew she couldn't enjoy soon anymore.

Every morning she got up early to see the sunrise. And every night she made sure to enjoy the sunset. She loved watching the night sky and seeing the stars. She went to every museum in the area to enjoy the colours as she soon wouldn't be able to see them anymore.

But she also thought of the practical things. She placed her furniture in such way that she could walk through her house without bumping into things. She made sure that everything had its own spot so she wouldn't have to search for anything. She even practiced walking around her house with her eyes closed.

She counted the steps to the nearest store so she wouldn't get lost when the time came that she lost her sight.

She was only home for a week when she noticed that things slowly got worse. Her right eye started to get worse. Her balance had gotten worse and she had trouble with walking in a straight line. The only thing that didn't seem to get worse was her hearing. She was grateful that she still was able to enjoy music.

She was known for her stubbornness so she didn't call her doctor or her mother or any of the Bellas when her condition got worse. She was determined and convinced that she could make it on her own despite the difficulties she faced on a daily basis.

The blindness came earlier then her doctor had predicted. Only a month later she woke up in complete darkness. That didn't stop her from walking to the store. She carefully counted her steps and reached the store successfully.

It was on her way back that she noticed a problem. Because of her balance problems she went right instead of left. She counted the steps but of course she didn't got to her home.

She was scared, lost and alone and she got a panic attack. She tried to calm down. She needed help. There was only person she thought of to call. Stacie.

Luckily she had the tall brunettes number on speed dial. She prayed that Stacie picked up her phone and was relieved when she did.

"Stacie, can you please pick me up? I'm lost" she said with a weak voice.

When Stacie heard Legacy's voice her heart broke.

"Calm down sweetie. Tell me where you think you are and I will find you" she said in a calming voice.

After telling the girls what happened they decided to all go and get their little sister home. It turned out that Lilly had put a tracking device in each of their phones so they didn't have to search.

They weren't happy to learn that but for now they were grateful she did that. And they definitely were going to talk about it with her but now their focus was on bringing their sister home safely.

When they saw their sister sitting on the sidewalk their hearts broke. She looked so young. Fat Amy parked the Bellas bus and Stacie raced out to go to Emily.

She wrapped her arms around the younger girl to comfort her.

"It's okay sweetie, I'm here. You're safe now" she whispered in Legacy's ear.

When the girl turned her head to Stacie, the older girl immediately knew that she couldn't see. Suddenly the whole situation made sense to her.

She rocked the girl gently in her arms assuring her that everything would be okay.

When the girl was finally calmed down enough Stacie guided her to the bus with the waiting Bellas.


	7. Chapter 7

The girls all looked alarmed as soon as they saw Stacie enter the bus with Legacy. They sensed something was wrong but they didn't know what. The tall brunette just shook her head. The look in her eyes said that she would explain later what was going on.

When they were all back in their places Fat Amy started the bus. During the ride back to the Bellas house is was awfully quiet. Nobody knew what to say, so they all just kept quiet. Waiting for what was about to come.

When they arrived back at the house, Stacie picked up the younger Bella and brought her straight to their room. Even though Legacy hadn't slept there for months, Stacie still saw it as their room.

She tucked the younger girl into her bed and had made sure she was okay, before she went back downstairs.

The girls who were all waiting in the living room were still unusually quiet. They were all concerned about the younger girl and they had a lot of questions.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on?" Beca asked her after she sat down.

She took a deep breath before answering her captains question.

"I'm not sure what exactly is going on. It seemed that Legacy's sickness progressed faster than we all expected. She didn't exactly told me how bad it is, but I do know that she lost her sight" Stacie said sadly.

"So, how are we going to deal with this?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"Honestly? I really don't know. I'm not a doctor yet. But I think we can establish the fact that Legacy can't live alone anymore" the tall brunette said.

They all agreed to that. What happened today scared them all. They would never forgive themselves if something more serious would happen to Legacy the next time.

And they wanted to prevent that there was going to be a next time. Today's events proved that it was to dangerous for her to go out in her own.

"Shouldn't we call Mrs. Junk to let her know that Legacy is safe?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe we should do that" Stacie said.

"I will make that call if you don't want to" Beca volunteered.

"I was thinking of calling Dr. Fields to ask for advice on how to handle this. But I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do. If Legacy wanted them to know, she would've called them" Stacie said.

Her last comment was a reasion for an discussion.

Beca, Chloe, Jessica and Ashley thought it was best to call at least Mrs. Junk and inform her about Legacy's condition and whereabouts.

Although they thought it was a good idea to call Dr. Fields for advice, they didn't think that was a priority right now. If Mrs. Junk knew about the situation, she could make a decision they reasoned.

Cynthia Rose, Flo and Fat Amy

thought they should respect Legacy's wishes and privacy. Lily said something that no one understood.

Stacie didn't know what was the best thing to do. She was considered the smartest of them but at this moment she didn't feel like she was.

Upstairs Legacy couldn't sleep. She could hear her Bella sisters talking about her and it instantly made her feel guilty. This was exactly what she didn't want. She didn't want them to worry about her. She didn't want was exactly why she had left in the first place.

Carefully she got out of bed. She outstretched her arms to prevent herself from bumping into the wall. After what seemed like an eternity she reached the door. In the hallway she slowly walked in the direction of the stairs. She almost fell down the stairs when she took a step too many. Just in time she realised that she was at the top of the stairs. She lowered herself so that she was sitting down.

When she finally reached the living room she heard her friends still talk about her.

"I don't care what you all think, but I'm going to call Mrs. J" she heard Beca say.

"No, you won't" Legacy said.

None of the Bellas had noticed het coming down so her voice came as a surprise for them.

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her own and guided her to the couch. She couldn't see but somehow she knew it was Stacie who helped her.

"I don't want any of you to call my mom. She doesn't need to worry about me. And I don't want you to worry about me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Today I made a mistake and I'm really grateful that you picked me up. But I'm fine. Tomorrow I'm going back to my own place. I'm eighteen and I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I'm blind not incapable of taking care of myself" she said bitterly.

Shocked at her sudden outburst, the girls stopped talking. She knew they stared at her even though she couldn't see it.

"I'm sorry. But please don't call my mom" she begged them.

"Listen sweetie. Of course we're worried about you. We love you and we care about you. We're all sisters, and if one of us is going through a hard time, we're going to be there for her. We're family. And family supports each other" Chloe said.

"Dude you're a Bella. That's for life" Beca added.

"I know. And I love you all too. I just don't want you to call my mom" Legacy said softly.

"I promise we won't call your mom. Yet. But you're not going back to your house until we figured out what to do next" Stacie said firmly.

"I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?" Legacy said finally.

"Not really" Stacie answered.

Now that they had addressed this topic the mood instantly became lighter. They started to talk about random things and for the first time in months it felt like nothing was wrong.


	8. Chapter 8

" _The train to the afterlife  
has enough coupes,  
that train never has a delay but ..  
always comes too early"_

Stacie couldn't hold back her tears when she spoke those last words. She looked at the crowd that had gathered for Legacy's funeral.

She couldn't believe that the young gir who had been like a younger sister for her was gone.

Legacy had spent the last few weeks of her life in the Bellas house, simply because she couldn't live alone anymore. Of course, she hadn't want to bur the Bellas had given her a choice. Or she would live in the Bellas house under supervision of them, or she would go back to her mom.

After thinking about it, she decided she wanted to spent the time she had left with the girls who had became her sisters. Reluctantly, she had told Stacie where she lived.

With the help of some of the Trebles, Stacie had moved her things back to the Bellas house. The boys even made sure that Legacy could walk around the two houses without any problems. All she had to do was follow the ropes that were secured between the two houses.

After the house was Legacy proof, the girls took turns in watching her. They accompanied her to each doctors appointment and made sure that she took her medicine. They watched her closely and reported every new discovery regarding her sickness to her doctor. Even Aubrey had took some time of from the retreat, to make sure the tall but stubborn girl wasn't alone.

It had been Stacie who stayed with Legacy until she took her last breath. They shared a room, and she would regularly check if everything was okay with the young girl.

The moment Legacy life was over, she had felt a hole in her heart. She had screamed and in no time the rest of the girls had been in their room to see what was going on.

Aubrey the only one who had remained calm, had called a doctor and Mrs. Junk.

Stacie and Legacy had talked about death and what Legacy's last wishes were. She had promised the young girl that she would fulfil and honour het wishes.

Together with the rest of the Bellas she had planned the funeral just as the young girl had wanted.

" _Emily joined the Bellas as a legacy. She was an innocent and sweet girl that lived and breathed music._

 _She always was the baby of the Bellas and we loved her and protected her like she was our little sister. Despite her young age she was wise beyond her years._

 _She passed away too soon but her legacy will live forever through the countless songs she wrote just before her sickness won this unfair battle. I'm privileged that I've known one of the most talented songwriters that I've ever met"_

As her captain, Beca wanted to let the people that were at the funeral know how special Legacy had been.

The Trebles who were the pall bearers, carried the coffin to the cemetery. When it was time they lowered the coffin into the ground.

After everyone had said their goodbyes, Stacie stayed behind. Out of all the Bellas, she had been the closest to Legacy. To her it didn't feel right to leave the girl that had felt like her sister behind. She didn't know how long she sat there, but eventually Aubrey and Beca forced her to leave.

"Goodbye Legacy, until we meet again" were the last words she said as she followed the two woman.

That night she couldn't sleep. The room that she had shared for such a long time with Legacy felt empty. When she finally fell asleep, she knew that her life would never be the same.


End file.
